President Akufo-Addo has directed the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry to pay an amount of five million United States dollars out of the six million dollars to be paid by Maxam Ghana Limited into the Appiatse Support Fund.

The amount to be donated will be used to support the victims of the incident and reconstruct the community.

The directive follows the Ministry’s administrative fine of one million dollars against Maxam and an agreement between the Ministry and the company to pay an additional amount of five million dollars to the government.

In a statement to announce the donation, the Lands Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor said “accordingly, I have directed the Minerals Commission to ensure that the said five million dollars is paid to the Appiatse Support Fund in accordance with the agreed terms of payment”.

Appiatse Support Fund

Last month, the government launched the Appiatse Support Fund to cater for the immediate needs of the people and the reconstruction of the community.

A five-member committee chaired by Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee has been mandated to ensure judicious use of the funds for the sole benefit of the people of Appiatse.

The Committee has since set up two bank accounts to receive donations to the Fund.

Chairperson of the Committee, former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee made this announcement last Wednesday in Accra.

“We didn’t want to receive any money when we didn’t have a bank account. So there were quite a number of people waiting.

“We needed bank accounts. We cannot receive your money for you not to know where we are going to place it. So, we have got bank accounts now. One is at GCB Bank, and the other is at Stanbic Bank,” she said.

Rev. Aryee noted that the account name is Apiatse Support Fund. Persons can donate at GCB Bank with the account number 101130036123 and Stanbic Bank with the account number 9040009974967.

President Akufo-Addo on January 27, made a personal donation of ¢100,000 to the Support Fund which has been established by the Lands Ministry.

The President was the first person to donate to the Fund.

He said the donation was his personal donation, and that government will support the Fund with the necessary resources to rebuild the community.